Hakka noodles is a famous Chinese dish. The earliest Chinese noodles were shaped into little bits, formed from bread dough and thrown into a wok of boiling water. That kind of noodle called Mian, Pian, is still eaten in China. Gradually, the invention of instant noodles and their mass production greatly changed the noodle industry. This food is the main body of the traditional Chinese diet. Today the dish is not only well liked in China but worldwide.

Hakka noodles are quite popular in India. The Indian love for the dish can be seen seeing the dish being served from high-end Chinese restaurants to roadside food stalls. Hakka noodles is a type of boiled and stir-fried noodles that are tossed and mixed with finely chopped vegetables, chicken and sauces but that is not absolute. Besides chicken and meat, some places serve Hakka noodles along with scrambled eggs.

The dish comes from the land of Hakka Han in China. The Indian version of Hakka noodles is mostly vegan and consists of a lot of vegetables and paneer. Here is a vegetarian recipe of Hakka noodles that tastes delicious and would have you craving for more. You can add vegetables of your choice.

An absolute must-try for noodle fans!

Serves: 2-3

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Hakka noodles: 100 grams

Toasted sesame oil: 5 tbsp

Whole red chillies: 4

Naturally fermented soy sauce: 2 tbsp

Rice vinegar: 3 tsp

Salt: 2 tsp

Sugar: ¼ tsp

Aginomoto: ¼ tsp

Red chilli flakes: ¼ tsp

Red chilli powder: ¼ tsp

Black pepper powder: 1 tsp

Water: 1 cup

Corn flour: 1 ½ tsp dissolved in half cup of water

Garlic: 5 flakes

Spring onion: 5

Capsicum: 1

Carrot: 1

Cabbage: ½ cup

Mushrooms: 5-6

Red bell pepper: 1

Method

Boil noodles in plenty of water. Drain the water with the help of a strainer and keep the boiled noodles in the strainer aside. Discard the drained water.Heat two tablespoons of sesame oil. Remove from fire. Put whole red chillies, red chilli powder and red chilli flakes. Mix them well. Put again on fire.Add boiled noodles, one tablespoon of naturally fermented soy sauce, one-fourth teaspoon of sugar and one teaspoon of salt. Mix well so that every ingredient coats well on the noodles. Turn off the flame and keep the sautéed noodles aside. Heat three tablespoons of sesame oil in a big pan. Add finely chopped garlic and saute for a minute. Add finely chopped spring onions, mushrooms, capsicum, red bell pepper and grated carrot and cabbage. Stir fry for three to five minutes on high flame. Add aginomoto, one teaspoon of salt, black pepper powder, one tablespoon of fermented soy sauce and rice vinegar. Stir fry for two minutes.Add one cup of water in the mixture. Add corn flour paste and keep stirring till the liquid gets thickened. Add already prepared noodles and celery. Mix well and stir fry for two to three minutes. Turn off flame. Serve hot.

Tips to make authentic Hakka noodles:

Use toasted sesame oil to give the dish an authentic Chinese taste. Use rice vinegar to make perfect Hakka noodles. Use naturally fermented soy sauce to give the noodles an amazing flavour. Chop all the veggies into a very small pieces or into julienne or grate them.Do not forget to add fresh celery. It makes a lot of difference to the final dish.Toss the noodles well while moving the pan constantly. Stir fry them well.

Hakka noodles is one of the Chinese dishes which has come to be appreciated around the world. The dish is a particular favourite in the US, the UK and India not only with kids but also with grown-ups.